Seven Withington girls joined nine boys from the Manchester Grammar School on an Easter expedition to Uganda, visiting local schools and an orphanage in the East African country.

"The experience was an eye-opener," said Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Lesley Bailey, who accompanied the pupils along with two members of MGS staff, “Everyone was deeply affected by seeing the conditions in which the teachers worked and the students learned and came home determined to do some active fundraising.”

At the first school, the Manchester students were introduced to pupils at an assembly and then participated in a variety of lessons. The second school, in upcountry Uganda, managed to function with virtually no resources, insufficient classrooms and very primitive facilities. The children at the orphanage, though well cared for, also lived in basic conditions.

The trip included visits to rural villages where living conditions were being improved by the installation of functioning wells and pumps, providing relatively clean water for the first time. 

Sightseeing opportunities included a visit to the source of the Nile and two days on safari – including a bush breakfast – across the frontier in neighbouring Kenya.